


in a name

by ChaddicusIX



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Coming Out, Future Fic, Gen, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 18:31:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6669610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaddicusIX/pseuds/ChaddicusIX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Talia’s nose scrunches up again. “Do we have to talk?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	in a name

**Author's Note:**

> this was mostly born out of the frustration I have of cis straight people gendering their literal unborn children and what that scene in AoU might become later if that child decided she was, in fact, a girl. so, a note: this is from Laura's POV, and such it starts off using the name given to the child in the movie. from the perspective of me writing and probably anyone reading this, that's deadnaming, but the point of this is to question why that scene needed to be written the way it did. after a new name is offered, I don't use the old one again, but this is pretty short so they're used about equally, unfortunately.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or any characters mentioned herein. I make no profit from this work.

Nathaniel’s just turned eight when the question comes up. “Why did you name me Nathaniel?”

Laura pauses in folding the shirt in her hands. “We named you after your Aunt Natasha,” She says.

“Why didn’t you just name me Natasha then?” Nathaniel asks.

“Because Natasha’s a girl’s name, and when we found out you were a boy we decided Nathaniel would be more appropriate.” Laura hears the faucet shut off in the kitchen behind her, and Clint comes out drying his hands.

So he’s in the room when Nathaniel says, “But you know I’m not a boy, right?”

Everything seems to stop for Laura. She looks Nathaniel closely, and the serious expression she finds makes her heart clench. She turns and shares a look with Clint. He seems calm, and his expression only shifts to concern when he meets her eyes.

She can’t say it’s something she’s thought of; the thought just hadn’t occurred to her, and she wonders how much she must have missed that she had no idea Nathaniel might feel different than their expectations.

“Would you like us to call you Natasha?” Clint asks, after a few moments of silence.

Nathaniel’s nose scrunches up. “I think it’d be confusing if me and Aunt Nat had the same name exactly.” There’s another pause, and Laura finds herself able to breathe. “How ‘bout Talia?”

Clint glances back to Laura before speaking again. “Talia, huh?” He says, a slow drawl dragging out the name.

“Auntie Nat used to be called Natalia, right?” Clint nods. “This way, I can still have her name, but we won’t be the same!”

Talia’s beaming up at both of them, and Laura puts down the clothing in her arms and moves over to sit beside Talia. “That’s some good logic there,” She says, and grins back when Talia smiles at her. “Tell you what, how ‘bout you go help your dad dry the dishes and we can talk when you’re done, hm?”

Talia’s nose scrunches up again. “Do we have to talk?”

_Yes_ , Laura wants to shout, because she’s in entirely unfamiliar territory, and she can’t help but wonder what _else_ has slipped her notice, what _else_ she’s missed. “We don’t have to,” She says, instead.

“Maybe I can go out and get some ice cream while you two talk,” Clint says, in a tone of voice that implies he wouldn’t probably do it regardless, even though Laura knows he will, at this point.

It gets Talia excited, though, dashing into the kitchen, followed by the sound of Laura’s laughter.

**Author's Note:**

> Talia's a girl, btw; I didn't end up writing her saying that or her pronouns because, frankly, I'm not entirely certain how an eight-year-old would address something like a change in pronouns, so just. imagine that happening yourself, sorry. but she's a girl.
> 
> come find me @nxtalias on tumblr!


End file.
